Food allergy alert after firms break rules

Suzie Mac said it was vitally important to follow food labelling rules

More than half of businesses surveyed by Trading Standards in Devon and Somerset have broken food labelling rules.

Officers found 56 out of 100 businesses in Devon and Somerset were not providing full ingredient and allergen labelling on all food made on the premises and pre-packed for direct sale.

They found 22 of the 56 businesses had sold products that either were not labelled or were incorrectly labelled and did not contain the allergens the sample was submitted for.

However, 34 premises failed because they contained an undeclared allergen, often because the product had little or no labelling.

Of the samples that failed, because they contained an undeclared allergen, milk was the most prevalent in 44% of the samples – cross contamination of work surfaces may have been a factor.

Gluten was the next most common allergen, and it was found in 17% of samples.

The survey was carried out by the Heart of the South West Trading Standards Service.

Each business where the 56 failed samples were found is now being advised by trading standards officers.

It follows changes in the law after the death of Natasha Ednan-Laperouse from anaphylaxis after she ate sesame in a baguette.

Hayley Tranter, Torbay Council’s cabinet member for adult and community services, said: "Future breaches of the law may not always result in advice and could incur other penalties."

Trading Standards warned of further tests later this year.

Suzie Mac, from Grampound near Truro, who has a peanut allergy, said: "It's just very life-changing and limiting if things go wrong.

"And unfortunately, there have been situations where people have passed away.

"I think I really feel for both restaurants and I feel for people that do have allergies because I think it's something that has grown very fast, especially since the 80s.

"But food labelling is vitally important, just to have a safe life."